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Principal Endorsement – MEd
The Principal Endorsement must accompany the Master of Education in Leadership in Teaching and Learning program/core requirements.
Why Earn a Principal – MEd Endorsement?
Midland University is proud to help teachers grow through graduate education opportunities. Students in our program have the opportunity to complete a Master of Education in Leadership in Teaching and Learning that results in a Principal Endorsement.
Throughout the program, students will build upon skills used in the classroom to gain an understanding of the types of decisions and leadership skills that are necessary to have at an administrative level.
36-45
Credit
Hours*
2
Years
(Average)
Class Type:
100% Online, 8-week courses
Transfer Credits:
Transfer up to 40% of the degree total
Connect With Us
Meghan Christensen
Enrollment Specialist
Email Address: christensenm@midlandu.edu
Phone Number: 402-941-6079
Eleanore Sell
Academic Advisor & CRM Analyst
Email Address: sell@midlandu.edu
Phone Number: 402-719-6430
Program Overview & Outcomes
The MEd program with a Principal Endorsement Concentration is a 36-45 credit hour program, depending on the endorsement level sought (PK-8, 6-12, or PK-12). The program prepares students for a school principalship or an educational leadership position in which they are responsible for overseeing certified staff. In order to apply for a Principal Endorsement with the Nebraska Department of Education, they must successfully complete the program and obtain a passing score on the ETS Praxis: Educational Leadership: Administration and Supervision (#5412). The Principal Endorsement contains a total of 250 clock hours in the field. Those seeking a PK-12 principal endorsement must complete a minimum of nine (9) additional graduate credit hours specific to the grade levels in which they do not yet have experience, totaling 45 credit hours. Students who are seeking certification in the State of Nebraska for the first time may be required to complete additional coursework in human relations and special education.
Program Learning Outcomes
Students will:
- Leverage data to solve real-world problems and to make informed recommendations for continuous improvement.
- Critique leadership models, styles, and/or approaches and their effectiveness in fostering positive educational environments.
- Develop strategies to advocate, nurture, and sustain a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional growth.
- Evaluate the management of the organization, operation, and resources for a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment.
- Demonstrate collaboration skills by engaging with faculty and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources.
- Apply the ethical principles of integrity, fairness, respect, and responsibility throughout their program of study and within their professional setting(s).
- Construct strategies to respond to and influence the political, social, legal, and cultural context of the organization.
Principal Endorsement Enrollment Options
The WSOE offers three Master’s degree options and two endorsement extension options, as detailed below. Corresponding credit hours are detailed in brackets. In some instances, students may be required to take more or less than the typical course of study. Questions should be directed to the student’s enrollment specialist, who will collaborate with the student to determine his/her/their course of study.
Master’s Degree Tracks:*
- Master of Education in Leadership in Teaching and Learning: Principal Endorsement Concentration, PK-8 (36 credit hours)
- Master of Education in Leadership in Teaching and Learning: Principal Endorsement Concentration, 6-12 (36 credit hours)
- For students seeking a PK-12 endorsement: Master of Education in Leadership in Teaching and Learning: Principal Endorsement Concentration, PK-12 (45 credit hours)
Endorsement extension options: Students who already hold a Master’s degree and have an active principal endorsement (PK-8 or 6-12) in the statement of Nebraska are eligible to extend their principal endorsement by taking 9 additional graduate credit hours. The extension options are outlined below:
- Endorsement Extension (Add to current active principal endorsement), 6-12 (9)
- Endorsement Extension (Add to current active principal endorsement), PK-8 (9)
Curriculum & Learning Environment
Designed specifically with teachers’ needs in mind, Midland’s 100% online MEd with a Principal Endorsement Concentration offers flexibility, real-world faculty, and capstone experiences that give students an opportunity to apply their new-found knowledge within the classroom before taking these skills back to their schools and school districts!
Coursework
View the academic catalog for a complete list of courses for the MEd with a Principal Endorsement Concentration.
View the Academic CatalogExperienced Faculty
With multiple years of combined K-12 teaching and leadership experience, our faculty challenge student thinking, and allow students to share authentic experiences to enrich learning, and strengthen the quality and meaning of online discussions and assignments.
Students will gain content knowledge from the faculty members with years of valuable experience across multiple districts.
Meet Our FacultyCapstone Experience
The capstone experience is for candidates seeking a principal endorsement, which prepares them to promote the success of the schools they lead by using a problem-solving process known as action research. Action research supports continuous school improvement through staff collaboration, data analysis, and self-reflection that furthers the well-being of the school community.
Each student will select an action research topic to investigate relevant to her/his school or classroom. This topic is one that the student has a particular interest in researching because it addresses a need of the school or her/his teaching situation. The action research capstone project does involve teachers’ own classrooms and students. In most cases, studies are implemented in the teachers’ classrooms, so they can design the investigations specifically to meet the needs of the students they instruct.
The teachers select these topics based on their relevance to current learning theories and trends, their school or students’ needs, and their personal interests. Some recent action research questions that have helped guide students’ capstone studies are listed below.
- How does the restructuring of classroom time and implementing evidence-based practices in writing instruction improve students’ writing skills?
- What effect will the development of common math rubrics at intermediate grades have on the fidelity of teacher judgment on student proficiency?
- How will the decentralization of whole-school professional development impact teacher engagement?
- What effect do restorative practices have on behavior management and student relationships in an elementary classroom?
- What is the effect of daily positive parental communication to improve attendance rates of chronically absent students?
- How will implementing retrieval practices in reading affect students’ comprehension?
Each student conducts an extensive eight-week investigation that requires them to collect evidence to answer an educational question of interest. Before implementing the investigation, the student researches their topic to examine up-to-date literature and studies that discuss the pros and cons of the intervention or program they have chosen to explore. The student describes this information in a written review of the literature.
Additionally, the student designs a plan that includes evidence to be collected during the study’s implementation to answer the action research question. This evidence may consist of the following data collection tools:
- Surveys/questionnaires
- Assessments
- Interviews
- Focus groups
- Fieldnotes
- Journals
Findings are described and summarized along with the literature review in a capstone report, which is presented to class colleagues and a panel of university instructors.
By completing the capstone experience, students will learn how a school can utilize action research to study and investigate programs and interventions to understand its effect. For example, they may ask questions like, “are the programs and interventions promoting the anticipated change?” If not, “how might they be modified or enhanced, or is additional teacher training required to ensure implementation fidelity?”
Other benefits of the capstone experience are that it demonstrates how action research promotes personal and school-wide best practices by:
- Enhancing decision-making; it is an intelligent way of making decisions
- Promoting reflection and self-assessment
- Instilling a commitment to continuous improvement
- Creating a positive school climate with a teaching and learning focus
- Impacting directly on practice
- Empowering those who participate in the practice
Through their investigations, students may find that a program or intervention needs to be modified or enhanced to work effectively with their population of learners. Contextualization is the power of action research. It empowers educators to explore ideas and their effects in their teaching environments.
Please note: Endorsements offered at the graduate level are based on the Rule 24 Standards for the State of Nebraska. Nebraska endorsements may or may not be eligible to be added to out-of-state teaching certificates. Teachers seeking to add an endorsement to their out-of-state teaching certificate must consult with their state’s Department of Education to confirm endorsement and certification requirements in their state.
Admissions
To apply to the MEd with a Principal Endorsement Concentration, students must begin the process by filling out our online application and creating an account on our admissions portal.
Please complete the graduate application.
For more admissions information, visit our admissions page.
Learn More About AdmissionsCost & Aid
We understand that the decision to earn a graduate-level degree represents a serious investment of time and money. The program offers an invaluable experience for practicing educators, and it is an investment that will provide significant returns for the rest of your teaching career. That said, there are plenty of ways to fund your higher education!
Learn More About Cost & Aid